


Shards: Happily Ever After

by bladespark



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: F/M, Multiplicity/Plurality, Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 23:33:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13351830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bladespark/pseuds/bladespark
Summary: The adventure is over, Hyrule is saved. And though Link will always have other adventures, he will always return to Hyrule and to the girl he promised to grow up with, who loves him and all his many selves.  They love her too, each in their own way.





	Shards: Happily Ever After

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a sequel to [Shards](http://archiveofourown.org/works/464032/chapters/800782). If you don't read that first, you'll be a.) very confused, and b.) have a bunch of things spoiled.

The first coronation had happened some time before. Though Zelda was young, she'd proved herself to her people at the age of eleven. She could probably have been crowned at twelve if that had been what she wanted, but she waited and let her council reign until she was sixteen.

I had been there for the coronation, of course. I'd been out of Hyrule as often as in it during those four years. I'd wanted to grow up with Zelda, but I was still the Hero of Time, and though Hyrule was at peace, there were other lands that needed my help.

She asked, after the coronation, if I could stay for a while. And as I wasn't aware of any other land that particularly needed me, I agreed. Those years were good years. My restlessness eased for a time, for though Hyrule did not need its hero, its queen needed me, and for a few years that was enough. I was her guardian and, as the years went by, more and more I was the one she used to shield her from the attentions of would-be suitors. As I had known they would, princes came from all the lands around to woo her. Each new handsome, powerful, talented suitor filled me with worry. I feared that she would fall for one of them, and yet I felt sometimes that she should, that she should have a prince by her side and not a nobody from nowhere. 

But always she had eyes only for me. And when I voiced my fears she only laughed. "You're the Hero of Time. You're not a nobody, you're more important to this land and to me than any prince could possibly be."

When she was nineteen I finally found the courage to propose to her. I was afraid, as I'd seldom been during the worst battles of my life, that she would say no. That she would insist she stay single for political reasons. That she would realize she didn't want to be with me all her life. That something, somehow, would go wrong. 

But she didn't say no. She said yes, with a radiant smile on her face, and with a little laugh she added, "I was starting to think I'd have to ask you!"

That proposal, however, plunged me into a whirlwind. Suddenly it seemed that every person in the kingdom wanted to be involved in the wedding. And Zelda insisted that it be followed by a coronation, that I be crowned king by her side. I felt very strange about that, but she was completely adamant, she wouldn't back down. I told her that even as king of Hyrule I might still need to leave, to help people in other lands. She simply said that she could rule without me when I was gone just as easily as rule without me if I was prince consort, so she was going to go ahead no matter what.

I couldn't come up with any further objections, so the plans began to be laid. I would never have guessed that people could care so much about so many little things. Zelda didn't seem to care any more than I did, but every other person in the castle had an opinion, and there were endless rounds of arguing about colors and flowers and food that were every bit as hard-fought as the political debates of the council.

I knew it was because all of Hyrule loved their queen. They wanted to be involved because they wanted to feel close to her. I was their hero, but I was not as beloved as Zelda. Which meant, thankfully, that the coronation after the wedding was a simpler affair.

It was nearly a year in the planning. We would both be twenty when the day came. Though depending on how one counted I might be twenty-seven. The lines between my adult self and child self had blurred more and more as I grew up, and I was honestly not certain which one I'd finally ended up sticking with when changing back and forth had stopped mattering. But that didn't matter either. All that mattered was finally being with the one I loved. The one we all loved, for the others I shared my body with cared for her too. That also was sometimes a source of worry for me. She liked them, I knew, and understood them as few did, but would she be willing to share her life with them as well? But it seemed that she would, for she showed no signs of hesitation when they spoke of the future with her. Her warm responses lifted my heart, and though I wasn't looking forward to all the fuss and formality, I did look forward greatly to the day we would be wed.

\-----

At last that day came. I will confess that much of it was a blur. We'd rehearsed, and as far as I can recall everything went off without any stumbling. The Zora choir was beautiful, I remember Mikau saying he regretted he couldn't be part of it. Zelda was lovely beyond words. I felt nervous and awkward and out of place, suddenly feeling once again like I was just a Kokiri boy. What was I doing amid all these Hylian nobles? I didn't belong here! But the smile on Zelda's face stilled my fears, and I pledged myself to her with no hesitation.

Then there was the coronation, when Zelda placed a crown on my head with her own hands, and sat me beside her in a throne that had been added to her throne room, and everyone cheered.

Then at last we stepped out through the door behind the thrones, and followed the passage there that led to Zelda's bedroom. She shut the door behind us and locked it. I found myself feeling very grateful that it locked. 

"My maid has the only other key and she knows perfectly well that if she disturbs us I'll banish her," said Zelda. I laughed. 

She fell over onto the bed with a sigh, and I sat next to her. "I am so tired," she said.

"Yes." I started to peel myself out of the absurd number of layers I was wearing.

"Here, help me with this," said Zelda, indicating the laces on the back of her dress. I obliged, and eventually we both got ourselves out of our formal clothing. We crawled into the bed together, and Zelda snuggled up close against me. I sighed blissfully and put my arms around her. It was wonderful to be there, to know that she was mine and I was hers. 

She kissed me, and I kissed back. We had kissed before, but never quite like this. Never knowing that there was so much more now to explore between us. But when I broke off the kiss, Zelda's eyes began to slide closed, and I found my own lids were heavy. 

"I'm too tired," she murmured apologetically.

"So am I," I said, and immediately yawned. She giggled.

_:Some wedding night,:_ said Shadow laughingly in my head.

_:Oh shut up, you lecher.:_

I pulled her close, and she tucked her head under my chin and closed her eyes. Almost immediately her breathing began to deepen. A moment later I could no longer keep my own eyes open and I joined her in slumber.

\-----

The next day was wonderful. We had no desire to travel far for our honeymoon. I had traveled enough for a lifetime already, and Zelda didn't want Hyrule to be without its rulers. But for a few days, at least, we would have few duties to attend to, for all her counselors had taken pains to give us some time without council meetings or audiences or any of the other burdens of royal life.

So we had a leisurely breakfast in private, and spent the afternoon out riding, or walking in the gardens, or doing nothing much, while everyone we saw smiled at us but left us alone.

Dinner was served in Zelda's bedroom, and it was an intimate sort of meal, rich morsels we could feed to each other, and delights designed to make one think of sensuous things. Rested and with our minds both inevitably sliding towards the bed and what we might do there later, we both found our cheeks heating often, and sometimes when Zelda's hand touched mine it sent an electrifying thrill through me.

_:I hope you get on better tonight than you did last night,:_ said Shadow teasingly.

_:Hush,:_ I said, embarrassed and a bit annoyed. I didn't mind sharing my mind with him, but I did rather wish that tonight, at least, he'd leave us alone.

He laughed, always one to enjoy when he'd managed to annoy me. _:I can give you some pointers, if you need them.:_

 _:Shadow!:_ My embarrassment grew. 

"Is Shadow bothering you?" asked Zelda. She was very perceptive, and often could tell not only when I was speaking to the others, but who I was speaking with. Not that Shadow made it hard, he was the one who delighted in making me blush.

I shrugged. "Maybe."

"Here, I want to talk to him."

I frowned, but acquiesced, turning control of myself over to Shadow. My hair turned black, as did my tunic, which usually happened when he took over. I knew my eyes would have turned red as well. "Well, Majesty, what can your loyal servant do for you?" he said with a grin. 

She got up and circled the little table we'd sat at to stand over him. "Stand," she commanded, using the royal voice that she very seldom used on us. Shadow blinked up at her, then got to his feet. She grabbed the front of his tunic and stepped close, looking him directly in the eye. "I like you, Shadow. And I know that you and Link come as a set, I'm fine with that. But tonight, our first night, is going to be our night. Link, and me, and nobody else. You are going to go step into that inside space Link has mentioned, and you're going to stay there, and leave us alone together." Shadow opened his mouth as if to say something, but Zelda suddenly yanked him close and kissed him, hard and intense. He couldn't possibly do anything but kiss back.

She broke off the kiss and grinned at him. He stared at her, flushed and wide-eyed. "I know you. And I know perfectly well what you want. And I promise you, you'll get it. I'll give you a night of your own. You're mine too now, just as much as Link is. But tonight is our night, _not yours_. Got it?"

"Ah. Yes, Your Majesty. I understand."

"Good. Then leave us."

Shadow stepped back, and I could tell that he'd done as Zelda had asked. He was almost always looking over my shoulder, he very seldom left me entirely alone, but he had now. As my hair returned to its ordinary gold color and my tunic reverted to being green, I knew that it was just Zelda and I, alone together. 

She let go of my tunic front and slid her hands around my waist. I put my arms around her and pulled her close. "Thank you," I said.

She smiled. "I wasn't lying, I don't mind having the others around, but tonight at least it's you I want and not anybody else."

I couldn't think of any reply to that, so I leaned in and kissed her. She kissed me back tenderly, not at all the way she'd kissed Shadow. It was one more wonderful thing about her, that she treated us as different people, even knowing we were also one. 

When we broke apart, she stepped back from me and, taking my hand, led me towards the bed. Beside it she stopped, and started to take off the belt I wore over my tunic. A moment later she was pulling the tunic off as well. My hands went to the fasteners of her dress, and I found they were shaking. We undressed each other with hesitant eagerness, stopping often to touch, to kiss, to press close. My breath came fast, but I was shivering with nervousness mixed with desire. I wanted this, but I was afraid that somehow I would do something wrong and ruin it all. Shadow might be experienced, but I'd always done my best to ignore his escapades. Now I almost wished I had paid attention so I would know what to do. But at the same time I was glad that I hadn't, that Zelda would be my first experience. She was special. I'd always known that she was special. This should be special as well. 

There was a certain amount of fumbling. There was occasional gentle laughter as we figured out what to do together. And when at last I heard her call my name in a moment of transcendent bliss I knew I had done the right thing by waiting for her.

After, we lay together in a pleasant haze. I kissed her on the forehead. She sighed happily and nestled into my arms. "I love you Zelda," I said softly.

"I love you too," she replied. "My Link."

"Entirely yours, mind, body and soul..."

"Mmm. Yes. All mine. All of you."

"Even the crazy parts?" I still faintly worried about that sometimes, about the others.

"Them too." She smiled at me and kissed my nose. "I love all of you."

I hugged her tightly against me. "Thank you. They all love you too, Zelda. They always have. I always have."

"Each in their own way," she said.

"Yes." She knew me so well, why had I worried that she wouldn't be happy with all of me? I let go of my worry and just held her close.

"I want to make them all happy too," she said after a while.

"Hmm?"

"Well, I've already promised Shadow a night. I know him well enough to know that's what he wants. What about the others though? Do they, uh...?"

I flushed a bit. "Er. Well... Deku Scrubs don't, uhm, it's complicated, but they don't, ah, mate. And Gorons don't even have females, I've never pried, but whatever they do isn't like, er, like Hylians. But, uh, I know Zoras, uh... they uh... Mikau has, er..."

Zelda giggled. "Zoras mate more or less like Hylians, yes."

"Yes."

"And I assume that means that Mikau would be interested in me then? I know he's been quite flirty, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything."

I was still red-faced, but I nodded. "I'm pretty sure it goes beyond flirting."

She smiled and kissed my cheek. "I'll be sure to see that he gets a bit of my attention then. What about the Fierce Deity?"

I blinked at her. "You would consider...?"

"Of course. He's you too, isn't he? And I know he loves me. I've known that since the night he carried me down Death Mountain. That was when I really began to understand about you."

"You're amazing."

Her cheeks reddened just a bit. "Thank you. But does he...?"

"I'm not sure. We've never talked about it. I'll ask."

I turned my attention inward. _:Deity?:_

 _:All done out there?:_ said Shadow.

I chuckled mentally. _:Yes. But I need to ask the Fierce Deity a question.:_ I reached further. He was often not very present when we didn't need him, he slept deeply sometimes. Eventually I reached the sense of him. _:Deity? Zelda has a question for you.:_

 _:For that fair one I shall always be willing to oblige,:_ he said

_:She's promised Shadow a night. And Mikau as well. But she also wanted to know if you wanted...?:_ I trailed off, not quite knowing how to complete the thought without sounding crude. But we were parts of a shared mind, and he knew what I meant. 

_:If... if she doth not fear me, I would be honored, Link. She is brave, and I do love her greatly.:_

_:I'll tell her.:_

Turning my attention outward again I said, "He says that he loves you as much as I do, and it would be an honor. And that you are brave, which I agree with."

"I don't need to be afraid of him. I know he'd never hurt me. Even the first time I saw him, when he was so angry, he stopped his sword and didn't hurt me."

"Even then we had begun to love you. We just hadn't figured it out yet."

"Well I'm glad you finally did."

"So am I."

\-----

The second day was much like the first. We spent a great deal of time in Zelda's rooms, not even doing anything but talking. We'd known each other for so long, but we'd often been apart, and we'd often been too busy to have time for things other than life or death matters. It was good to simply be able to talk, to share our stories and our thoughts. The more we spoke together the more I knew why I had come to love her. Zelda was everything I could have wanted. She was brave and wise, witty and eloquent, strong and yet gentle. And she understood me as no one else ever had. Saria, my childhood friend, had perhaps come close. But she was a Kokiri, and I was a Hylian. She would be a child forever. Or perhaps she had never been a child at all. That would always be a barrier between us. With Zelda there were no barriers. I could share everything with her, no matter how intimate, no matter how strange. 

When night began to fall and we once more retired to the bedroom a little bit of my strangeness asserted itself. _:It's my turn,:_ said Shadow, and with a wry little smile I agreed and stepped back. Although I didn't leave entirely. Shadow had indicated he didn't mind, and I had to admit that I was a little curious how he would go about things, with his greater experience.

Zelda smiled when she saw my hair change colors. "Shadow," she said.

"Indeed, my lady," said Shadow with a little bow. 

Zelda laughed. "So formal?"

"Are you objecting?"

"Not at all."

He took her hand and bent over to kiss it. She smiled down at him. He kissed it again, and then began to slowly kiss his way up her arm. When he reached her sleeve he skipped up to nuzzle at the side of her neck. "Mmm. That's not formal at all..."

"And are you objecting to that instead?" He murmured before nipping her gently.

"Ooo! Not at all!"

"Good." 

He nibbled at her ear, and she ran her fingers through his hair, making small sounds of pleasure at the touch of his teeth. He bit harder, and she gasped. "Ah! Goddesses, Link!" Then she let out a little squeak of dismay. "Oh! I'm so sorry Shadow."

He laughed and nipped her ear again. "I don't mind. I'm Link too. In fact it's rather nice that you understand we're one. Though I know you also appreciate our... differences." With a low growl he bit harder, making her cry out again. 

A moment later she'd twisted her fingers through his hair and pulled his head up to kiss him. He kissed back hard, almost aggressively, and she matched him. A moment later he was undoing her dress, and she was pulling off his tunic, both moving with eager haste. And it was hard to say which of them was the more aggressive. She was the one who dragged him into the bed, but he was the one who pinned her beneath him there. Where what she and I had shared had been tender and gentle, what they shared was rough, almost violent at times. But I had no doubt at all that it was exactly what Shadow wanted, his reactions were intense, and it seemed obvious that Zelda enjoyed it just as much.

For me it was something of a revelation. I didn't know if I'd ever enjoy some of what they did, but it was eye-opening all the same. I might have felt a little jealous of the way Shadow was able to make her react, but she called my name again, and he only laughed and continued what he was doing. If he didn't mind that, how could I mind his greater experience?

Much, much later they lay, both exhausted, in the bed. Shadow silently offered to let me take back over again, but I declined. This was his night, he could have the whole of it. _:Cuddling afterward is nice too, you know.:_

 _:Indeed,:_ he replied. _:Thank you.:_

"My Shadow Link," murmured Zelda, and pulled him close to her.

He chuckled softly. "You're very possessive of us, it seems."

"Yes." She smiled. "I married you, all of you. You're mine now."

"I see." I could tell Shadow was a little uncertain about this. I nearly laughed. It was about time he was discomfited for once. _:Does she mean what I think she means, Link?:_ he asked me, somewhat plaintively.

_:I'm pretty sure she does, yeah. No more fooling around for you.:_

Zelda tucked her head under his chin and sighed, relaxing against him. He smiled and tightened his arms around her. _:I guess I don't actually mind,:_ he said gently. _:I'd rather her than anyone else I've ever been with.:_

 _:She's special,:_ I said.

_:Yes. Yes she is.:_

\-----

The next morning I woke to find that Shadow had relinquished control to me once more. It was very pleasant to wake with Zelda pressed up against my side. She had one arm draped over me, and I smiled. Her possessiveness persisted even when she slept, it seemed. For a long time I just lay there, listening to her breathe. I heard a faint, discreet creak, and knew a servant had probably brought us breakfast again, but even that wasn't quite enough to make me leave Zelda's warm embrace.

After a few minutes more, however, she stirred. 

"Good morning," I said.

"Morning," she muttered drowsily. She yawned and stretched. I took a moment to admire her. Her golden hair fell down around her shoulders, a bit untidy after last night but still framing her face in a bright halo. Her fine-featured face was softly touched by the morning light streaming in through the windows, which lit warm golden lights in her blue eyes. The light shone too for a moment through one long, delicate ear. I had the urge to reach out and caress it, trace my fingers over the detailed whorls of it. But Zelda slid out of bed before I could decide if I should act on the impulse or not.

"Looks like breakfast is served," she said, peering under the covered dish that a servant had left on the table near the bed. I came and joined her, and we ate together. 

Then we dressed and went out, hand in hand. We could have stayed all day in the bedroom, but this chance to enjoy ourselves without any royal duty was too rare to spend on just one activity. Today we went riding, myself on Epona and Zelda on a lovely black mare that was almost as fast as Epona was. We raced across Hyrule Field together, taking daring leaps over fences and low walls. Zelda's hair flew in the wind and she laughed with delight every time her horse jumped.

We picnicked together near Lon-Lon Ranch, and then rode back to the castle as the sun began to sink lower in the sky. Zelda sighed as we passed through the castle gates. "The end of our freedom is almost here."

"Yes. I guess we should be glad we got this much time."

She nodded. "I almost wish we could just run off together and leave ruling behind. But..."

"But Hyrule needs us, and neither of us have ever been able to step away from that responsibility."

"Indeed."

"We still have tonight. And even with our duties there will be other nights as well."

"Yes. But I want to make the most of this one while we have it."

"So do I." I smiled.

We dismounted, and a groom took our horses. One benefit of being royalty, though I still intended to take care of Epona myself most of the time. Just not tonight. We walked through the castle halls, returning the greetings of the various folk we passed along the way, but soon we were once more in the privacy of Zelda's rooms, and she once again locked the door. "There. Now I have all of you all to myself again."

She grinned at me, and I laughed. "And is it my turn tonight, or would you prefer somebody else?"

Zelda put her arms around me and gave me a brief kiss. "I don't know. I like you all! But you're the one I fell in love with first."

I kissed her on the forehead with a warm smile. "It's good to feel loved."

"You wouldn't be upset if I did ask for somebody else tonight, though?"

"No, of course not."

A little shyly she said, "I think... well... I'm curious about the Fierce Deity. I don't know him as well as some of the others."

I nodded. _:Deity?:_

_:Yes?:_

_:Zelda would like you to take over tonight.:_

_:I... I see. Very well.:_ He sounded hesitant.

_:Do you want me to stay, or should I leave you alone?:_

_:Stay. Please.:_

_:All right.:_

I stepped back, and he took over. It was always a peculiar transition. In some ways nothing changed at all, he was very like me. But he was nearly half again as tall as I, Zelda just barely came up to his chest. If her rooms hadn't had high, vaulted ceilings he might have hit his head. It always felt strange, especially at first, to look down on the world from so high.

Zelda looked up at him. He dropped to one knee, which put his head below hers, though not by very much. She lifted a hand to his face hesitantly and cupped his cheek. She stroked her thumb over the tattoos that marked it. "What do I call you?" She asked softly, looking into his blank white eyes. "'Fierce Deity' hardly seems like a name..."

"The only other name I bear is Link," he said in his deep, rough voice. 

She nodded. "Link. And you're mine too."

"Yes." I could feel the wave of emotion that filled him at this simple declaration. He was intensely happy to be hers, in a way even more so than I was. 

She ran her fingers through his silver hair, pushing the hat off of his head as she did. He lifted his hand and captured hers with it, and kissed her palm softly. She smiled and rested her other hand on his shoulder. Then with a little laugh she tapped a knuckle against the breastplate he always wore. "This needs to come off. Armor doesn't belong in bed."

He smiled at her, and obediently moved to unbuckle the breastplate. He stripped off his gauntlets too. She turned around and said, "Help me off with this dress." He nodded and started to undo the laces that ran up the back of it. I noticed that his hands were trembling even more than mine had on that first night. Zelda let the dress fall and stood only in a light chemise she'd worn beneath it. He rose and removed his boots, and pulled his tunic off over his head. The light shirt beneath that went too, and he stood clad only in his breeches. Zelda stepped close and hugged him, her head resting against his chest. He stroked her hair gently. He was trembling still, filled with equal parts desire and fear. I knew he was worried that he would hurt her somehow. His life had been a very violent one, and tenderness was strange to him.

_:It will be all right,:_ I whispered reassuringly to him. _:She's not that fragile. Remember Shadow last night...:_

_:I could never... I could never be thus with her. I... she is so small... I fear I shall do her harm.:_

_:But she's strong too. Trust her, if you can't trust yourself.:_

_:Yes.:_ He bent to her, and she tipped her head up to him, and they kissed softly. "Zelda," he murmured against her lips. 

"Link," she said with a happy sigh.

He picked her up then, and she let out a little startled squeak. He kissed the top of her head, and then laid her down on the bed. She reached up to him as he bent over her and pulled him down to kiss him again, her fingers twisting insistently through his silver hair. He was still hesitant as they explored each other together. But she wasn't, she urged him on, found ways to encourage him, and eventually it was he who cried her name, lost in bliss beneath her.

She called his name, my name, in answer, breathless with passion. I shared the joy that leapt in him to hear it.

Finally, they lay together, drowsy and content, with him curled against her back, his arm over her, the two fitted together perfectly despite the difference in their sizes. 

_:I thank thee,:_ he said quietly to me.

_:You're more than welcome. You know I don't mind sharing anything with you.:_

_:Yes. But this... 'tis different. I would lay no blame upon thee if thou wished for her to be thine alone.:_

_:She wants it this way. That's all that matters. And I like it this way too, really.:_

_:Yes.:_

All was silent for a long time. Zelda's breathing was deep and even, she was most likely asleep. I felt tiredness dragging on me as well, but I recalled something as I lay there, and I had to ask. _:Deity? Why... Why was it so important to you, when she said you were hers?:_

_:I... I am not entirely certain. Perhaps... I have a fragment of memory, from our life—from my life, when I gave in to madness and hate. Somehow 'twas she that saved me, I am sure of't, though I recall so little of what transpired then. Thus as it seemeth that 'twas she who broke the madness in me, so I feel that if I am hers, I cannot fall to such evil again. Though even were that not so, she hath more than earned my devotion. She is special, and I am privileged to be hers.:_

_:I understand.:_

\-----

The next day was sadly full of bustle and activity. Duty called, and Zelda and I both couldn't do anything but answer it. For me the day was also full of anxiety. I was suddenly a king, and I didn't have the first clue how to go about being one. But Zelda was by my side for the whole day, and she guided me gently into my duties. 

It wasn't physically demanding the way combat was, but it drained me all the same. So when we once again found ourselves alone, all we could do was fall into bed together. Further explorations would have to wait. Still, just falling asleep with her by my side was wonderful. It seemed almost too good to be true, that a person like Zelda should want to be with a strange person like me.

Yet as the days passed and we found the occasional moment for passion amid duty, I could not possibly deny that she did. So I was quite looking forward to the Goddess Day evening, when we'd had no court to hold, and only a few minor duties to keep us occupied. We would both, at last, have both energy and time to explore more together. I reached the bedroom before she did, since she tended to have more to do than I, still. Her subjects were used to bringing their troubles to her, not to me. 

I didn't complain of it. I still felt even stranger about being a king than I did about being married to Zelda. I felt now, after a bit more than a week, that I could probably do well enough, but I didn't know if it would ever come naturally to me, as it did to her. Zelda had been a queen since she was a mere eleven years old, after all, in fact if not in name.

Alone in the spacious bedroom for the time being, I dropped onto my back on the bed. I turned my mind to pleasant thoughts of that evening, but was interrupted by an inner voice.

_:Hey, dude, I don't want to harsh your vibe, but I gotta say I think it might be my turn to give things a try with the lovely little dudette.:_

I chuckled. _:Sure, Mikau. Why don't you take over now, so you can catch her when she comes in?:_

_:Thanks, bro.:_

_:No problem.:_

I took a sort of mental step back, and felt Mikau step forward, my body shifting as he did so. He was built very much like me, just a bit thinner, and of course his skin was blue-green and scaled. His eyes were larger than mine, and black, without visible iris or pupil, the shape of his face a bit alien, and framed with fins. I'd shucked off my boots before retiring, so he was barefoot as well, his toes just slightly webbed, as were his fingers, but he wore a kilt, which was the same blue that my royal tunic had been. I had no idea how that worked, but each of my alter egos had a preferred style of clothing, and somehow whatever I was wearing changed accordingly when I changed forms. 

He reached over, picking up the guitar that rested on a stand next to the bed, and began strumming it. I stayed there as a passenger in his body, looking through his eyes and listening through his ears, as he played. He'd been playing for perhaps half an hour when Zelda came into the room. She sat on the edge of the bed and listened, smiling, as he finished his current song.

"You have such talent," she said.

"Well thanks, dudette."

Zelda laughed. She'd said that she found Mikau's ocean Zora dialect to be delightful, if a bit ridiculous.

Mikau smiled. "You all done slaving away for today?"

"Yes. The rest of the day is completely free of royal duties."

"Awesome." Mikau set the guitar back on its stand, then reached out to Zelda and plucked the tiara she was still wearing off of her head. He set it on the nightstand, and winked at her. "How about I help you relax, hmm? How does a backrub sound?"

"That sounds... nice."

"Why don't we take that dress off, then, and chill out a little. And maybe after that we can heat things up again."

Zelda just laughed again, and rose from the bed. Mikau got up too, and helped her out of her dress. Soon she was lying on the bed wearing only her skin. Mikau still had his kilt on as he sat next to her and began to rub her shoulders. 

She gave a little shiver at his touch. "Your hands are cold."

"Zoras," said Mikau with a shrug and a smile. "Gotta be either cold-blooded or well insulated if you want to live in water." He continued to knead at Zelda's tensed shoulders, and she closed her eyes and made no further comment, only the occasional soft sound of pleasure, mixed with a few less pleased sounds when he found a particularly stubborn knot. He moved eventually to straddle her, so that he could work more easily. She tensed again at that, but relaxed once more as his hands warmed and his massaging undid her tension. I could feel a different kind of tension in Mikau, though. He was about to start pushing things further.

_:Is is all right if I stay, or should I leave?:_ I asked him silently.

_:You do whatever you like, man,:_ was his careless reply. I couldn't help but be curious, so I stayed, still watching through his eyes as he leaned over Zelda and kissed the back of her neck. 

She shivered again, making an odd little sound as he pressed against her. He moved from her to sit beside her on the bed. She rose and turned to him. He reached out, stroking her cheek, and she gave him an oddly hesitant smile. "Link. Or do I call you Mikau?"

"Whichever you like," he said. He ran his fingers through her hair, and pulled her a little closer. She came to him willingly, and they kissed softly.

I became aware, though, that this kiss was a little bit different from the ones Zelda and I had shared before. She was hesitant, putting less passion into it. Mikau pulled back, a faint expression of puzzlement on his face. He had obviously noticed as well. Zelda bit her lip, an endearing gesture, yet one I knew meant that she was uncertain about something. "Dudette?" said Mikau, trying to not sound worried.

Zelda gave herself a little shake and leaned in to kiss Mikau again. There was something like passion in it this time, and he put his arms around her and pulled her close. Yet no sooner had he done so than she shivered again, and pulled free from the kiss. She looked distressed now, her eyes showing worry and dismay. 

"Dudette? Zelda? What's up?"

She worried her lip again for a moment, then gave a little sigh. "You're cold. And your teeth are... strange. Your lips are cold. And I wasn't expecting that. We haven't really touched that much..."

I frowned to myself, realizing that she was right, she and Mikau had mostly interacted over his music; they hadn't ever been physically affectionate before now. He'd flirted verbally quite a bit, but hadn't really touched her. 

Mikau gave her his usual easy, casual and—I noted now—rather carefully calculated smile, that didn't really show off the fact that all of his teeth were pointed. "Yeah, I know it's kind of weird. Not your scene, eh?" What I could feel from him belied his casual words, though. Her rejection had hit him like a sword to the gut. He was wounded severely, beneath his cheerful facade.

"It should be," she said, worrying her lip again. "I _like_ you. When Link said you were interested in being with me, I was flattered, and quite interested in return. I just wasn't expecting you to feel so... clammy."

"Hey, it's no big deal." Mikau shrugged. "People groove to what they groove to. You can't help it if I'm not your type."

_:Mikau... It is a big deal.:_

 _:What good would saying that do, Link?:_ he said, and his mental voice didn't bother to hide his pain. _:She can't stand touching me. That's not something she can just change. If I tell her I'm all broke up over it, I'll just hurt her too.:_

_:You're just going to give up?:_

_:Hey, I'm no expert in loving, but I know enough to know that when a lady doesn't like something, she doesn't like it. I'm a cold fish, I can't change that.:_

Suddenly he was gone, leaving me abruptly in control of my body, which changed back to my usual form without my having to will it. I sat there blinking, startled.

"Link? I'm sorry. I really am. Is he okay?"

I shook my head. "I'm not sure."

_:Mikau?:_ I called, but only silence answered me.

"Link?" Zelda reached out and took my hand. She looked even more distressed than she had before. "I can try again..."

I squeezed her hand reassuringly, but shook my head. "If it's forced, he'll be able to tell." 

She sighed and nodded. "I'm sure I could get used to it eventually. The teeth were just unexpected. The cold bothered me a bit more, but I'm sure I could get over it after a while. I just..."

"You would have to do a lot of faking, and it would be very uncomfortable for you both." I tried to think through this logically. Zelda had told me, once, that problem solving was the same, whether it was a physical puzzle or a personal problem. There had to be some solution to this. "If the main problem is merely temperature, I wonder..."

"What?"

"Well, Zoras are cold-blooded, but that doesn't mean they have to be _cold_. Lizalfos are cold-blooded too, but sometimes, especially in the desert, they can be quite warm from basking in the sun. That's when they're really dangerous. I wonder if a Zora could be warmed up, and would it harm him?"

Zelda looked thoughtful. "There are Zoras in the tropical lands south of here. They swim in the warm oceans there. In fact, that gives me an idea..." 

She explained it to me, and I agreed that it would probably work. So, while she set about getting things in motion, I once more stepped back within myself. I felt someone taking over, probably Shadow, but I didn't stay to look through his eyes. I went deeper within, until I reached my inner world. 

The little island was still there, with its green and growing tree. Mikau was sitting against it, his legs folded up, his finned arms wrapped around them, his head resting on them, a perfect picture of misery. I knelt next to him and put my hand on his shoulder. "Mikau, I know you're upset..."

"Leave me alone."

I tried to use our mental connection to project reassurance at him. "Zelda wants to try again, Mikau. She _does_ like you. She wants to be with you."

He lifted his head, looking up at me with a doubtful expression. "Dude. It's not going to be that easy. If she thinks I'm disgusting..."

I squeezed his shoulder. "She doesn't think you're disgusting."

"She got all freaked out just trying to kiss me."

"She let you give her a back rub before that, even with cold hands."

He shook his head. "Just 'cause she warmed them up."

I smiled. "Exactly. Come on, there really is a way to make this work. Trust me." I held out my hand to him, and after a moment he took it and let me pull him to his feet. I looked up, and in some unreal way pulled him further still. Shadow stepped aside for him, and once again he was in control of my body, with me standing just behind him, looking over his metaphorical shoulder.

We were standing in the large, luxurious bathing room attached to the royal suite. The vast tub built into the floor was already more than half full of water, with steam rising faintly from the surface. It filled further as we watched, but I could tell that Mikau wasn't really looking at the running tap, his eyes were fixed on Zelda, who was sitting in the bath, the water just reaching her waist. Her long hair fell around her, the tips just floating in the water.

"Mikau," she said warmly, and beckoned to him. "Come, join me."

"Hey, Zelda, ah..." he tried to gather his usual cool composure as he realized the solution Zelda and I had found. I could tell that he was feeling a wildly conflicting set of emotions. Lingering hurt, surprise, hope, doubt, and reluctance to hope too hard; all those were mixed together, along with frank desire at the sight of Zelda reclining there. He managed a fairly normal smile and finally said, "That looks pretty sweet. Sure, I'll join in." 

He stepped onto the set of steps that led down into the tub, but Zelda held up a hand, her cheeks flushed and a mischievous smile on her face. "No bathing with your clothes on," she said.

Mikau coughed, and I could feel a sensation rather like blushing. Past experience told me that he would have turned slightly darker blue in embarrassment. I laughed silently. 

_:Well? You heard the lady,:_ chimed in Shadow.

_:Butt out, dude,:_ said Mikau, still "blushing", as he stripped off his kilt and let it fall to the floor. 

Zelda's eyes surveyed Mikau from top to bottom. "Much better." She grinned and reached out, grabbing his hand as he descended into the tub, pulling him down to sit beside her. He settled somewhat gingerly into the water. "Now just relax while the tub fills," said Zelda, still holding his hand, and leaning back against the wall of the tub. Mikau nodded and leaned back as well. He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

_:The warmth isn't uncomfortable?:_ I asked him softly.

_:No. It's nice,:_ he said simply. I could feel much of the conflict he'd felt draining from him as he relaxed slowly. The room was silent for a long time, except for the sound of running water as the tub slowly filled. Eventually Zelda let go of Mikau's hand and reached over, turning off the flow. He sank down further in the now-filled tub, until even his head was under, and remained there for some time, eyes still closed. Finally he surfaced again, opened his eyes, and looked over at Zelda. "Hey, thanks," he said.

"There's no need to thank me. In fact, I owe you an apology." She smiled. "I think I know how best to show you that I'm sorry." She moved closer then, sliding her arms around him, and kissed him again. He kissed back a bit stiffly at first, still not quite willing to believe that all was well. But there was real passion in the kiss this time, and he was soon utterly caught up in it, sliding his arms around her in turn and holding her close.

When they parted, Mikau said, "You're sure everything's chill?"

Zelda laughed. "Everything isn't 'chill', chill was the problem. And I am very sorry that I reacted so badly to that. It's not your fault."

"Hey, it's not your fault either," said Mikau, shaking his head.

"Maybe not, but I know I still upset you. But everything is just fine now, isn't it?"

He smiled. "It's all copacetic, dudette."

She laughed again, and kissed the tip of his sharply-pointed nose. "It's easy to forget how different you are from a Hylian, since I know you're part of Link, who is. But different isn't bad. It's something to explore." She ran a finger lightly across his cheek and then along the fin that nestled just behind his jaw. She let her hands wander further, tracing them over his skin. "It felt clammy before," she said softly, "but here in the water it's sleek... I think even without the warmth, I would like this better. It seems more natural."

"Zoras belong in the water," he said, and his own hands were caressing her skin softly as he said it.

_:You do know that Hylians aren't really meant for water, and it's hard to have sex in it, don't you?:_ said Shadow, laughingly.

_:If you don't shut up and butt out, Shadow, pal, I am going to make you regret it,:_ said Mikau in response, half laughing, but at least half serious too.

_:Come on, they don't need an audience:_ I said, and I dragged Shadow with me, back to the inner world with its lake and tree, leaving Mikau and Zelda to explore each other alone.

\-----

In the morning I found myself in Zelda's arms again, waking in a warm awareness of her presence. :Have fun last night?: I asked Mikau, not really wanting the details, but unable to resist teasing someone who'd teased me a fair bit about such things.

_:I sure did,:_ was his cheerfully satisfied reply. Then, a bit more soberly, he added, _:Thank you for not letting me give up. It was totally worth the second try.:_

_:Thank Zelda, really, it was her idea.:_

_:It was yours too, so I'll thank you if I want! But yeah. The little dudette is something else.:_

I chuckled to myself. _:Yeah, that she is.:_

We had duties that day, so we couldn't laze in bed long, but she gave me a kiss when she woke, and I felt like even just that much would be worth almost any price. Being with her was wonderful.

Even sitting on the throne beside her had its moments, though I found it a less comfortable fit than being in the saddle and on the road. The itch to go and find evil to fight was beginning to grow again. It was a small urge for now, but I knew eventually I'd have to answer it. Still, I knew too that Zelda understood, and that when the time came for me to go, she'd let me go. Even better, when I returned, I trusted that she would be there.

That night, though, when we once again retired to the chambers we now shared, I was reminded of all the reasons I had to stay. She was full of passion again, and I was caught up in it. We undressed each other in a flurry of fumbling at knots and discarded clothing before falling into the bed together. Some of what we did had hints of the wild intensity of the night she'd shared with Shadow. But there were moments, too, when she encouraged me gently into what she desired and I felt the tender care that Deity had felt towards her. And there were moments of laughter too, that made me think of Mikau.

I was there with her, all of me, and it was all that I could hope for and more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I've been delighted by how much people enjoy Shards, even though it's a pretty weird one.
> 
> P.S. If you'd like to see me talk about writing, my works in progress, other creative endeavors, and my life in general, check out [my Dreamwidth blog](https://bladespark.dreamwidth.org/).)


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